Dear All:
My name is Jade Chen.
Note: I capitalize to emphasize the important points!
Last year (in 2014), I became a victim of psychiatric abuse here in Taiwan.
It started with my (female) psychotherapist violating our contract. This psychotherapist works inside a clinic.
In the contract, it stated the client (myself) has every right to reject any type of medication given by a psychiatrist, be it in the clinic itself (there is a male psychiatrist, who established the clinic) or any psychiatrist outside (ex: a hospital), during the sessions with the psychotherapist (which is her). She (Jade) also has every right to say “no” if the psychotherapist (she) recommends one.
That contract was to be violated only if the client (myself) starts having suicidal thoughts or becomes a threat to society.
At the time, I was far from being suicidal and a threat to the public.
We both signed the contract. I thought: from then on, everything was on its’ way to being resolved and healed. Or so I thought!
A few sessions later, this psychotherapist went behind my back by telling my mother she has a good friend/former co-worker who is a (female) psychiatrist at this hospital in Taipei who can deal with Jade (me) because she simply did not want to hear my problems anymore. She simply wanted no part in assisting me to resolve my depression (brought on by years of verbal abuse from the people I came across in my life).
She completely violated the contract.
My mother became convinced through her “advice” and persuasion.
Months later, I re-contracted pneumonia (I caught it once, as a young child) and was hospitalized at Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for eight days. For eight straight days, I received antibiotic injections and was on IV to remove the bacterial infection.
After I got out of the hospital, I suffered a a slightly moderate nervous breakdown. This was probably due to the fact I just got out of the hospital and I was, physically, still very weak from the antibiotic treatments I got when I stayed there.
My mother, who became alarmed and probably thought: Perfect! My daughter has finally disintegrated to that point! It was the perfect storm! The perfect time to drag me to the psychotherapist’s friend/former co-worker: the psychiatrist!
I fought with all my might not to go (years before, when I was still back in California, I vowed I rather shoot myself dead than be handcuffed and dragged to a psychiatrist because I know what they do to their patients)! But at the end, I lost the battle (of wits) between myself and my mother! I was dragged to the psychiatrist by my mother (the threat of it, to me, was EQUIVALENT to that of actual handcuffs)!
When I went to go see the psychiatrist, I told her of my depression and the years of verbal abuse by people whom I encountered. This psychiatrist, who is the friend/former co-worker of the psychotherapist, asked me several questions of the primary characteristic behaviors related to: hallucinations, paranoia, bi-polar, and schizophrenia. I said, in a firm tone of voice: NO to all of her questions! I told her I was ONLY depressed and NOTHING else! I also told her I was born very premature and that I JUST got out of the hospital with a bout of pneumonia and was given antibiotic injections, and that she needed to be ABSOLUTELY CAREFUL when prescribing medications to me!
However, SHE NEVER LISTENED TO ANYTHING I said! It was as if I was talking to a brick wall the entire time! Now that I think back, it was more like SHE was hallucinating and was CONVINCED on the “fact” how I was a “paranoid schizophrenic” and that I MUST be “cured” of my condition!
I was COMPLETELY SOUND (sane) in mind at the time!
She went ahead and prescribed ANTIPSYCHOTICS and ANTIDEPRESSANTS, three different kinds, and told me to take all of them (I later found out, from an online search, that you can NEVER take MORE THAN ONE TYPE of psychiatric drug at the same time because it is HIGHLY DANGEROUS TO DO SO, AKA: mix and match medications, but by then, it was too late)! She LIED THROUGH HER TEETH about those antipsychotics and antidepressants had ABSOLUTELY NO DANGEROUS EFFECTS WHATSOEVER, and how it would ONLY “calm my nerves”! Of course, NOTHING can be further from the TRUTH!
I took the three types of medications: Zyprexa, Dormicum, and Biperiden for one month.
Afterwards, I was NEVER THE SAME AGAIN!
From the three types of medications, I developed: paranoia, hallucinations, fear of public places, complete distrust of the outside world, flashbacks, memory loss, severe obsessive compulsive disorder, constant thoughts of wanting to commit suicide, spacing out for periods of time, irritable bowel syndrome (alternating between diarrhea and constipation, accompanied by abdominal pain, intestinal spasms, bloating and gas. I also had fecal incontinence for a very long time), aggression, agitation, confusion, indigestion (I can no longer digest fats, oils, spicy, raw or cold foods properly. If I eat any of those, it immediately triggers an episode of diarrhea along with cramping, which is more painful), weakness, lethargy, extreme fear of being alone, extreme fear of tight small spaces as well as wide open spaces, changes in personality, distortion of my perception towards reality, severe insomnia, and frequent mood swings.
I called up the psychiatrist and even scheduled a one hour private appointment with her (she works inside a hospital, but she also gives private one-to-one consultations, how ironic it is), telling her about THE DANGEROUS FACTS AND EFFECTS OF THOSE PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS she prescribed to me. She FLATLY DENIED, stating how she ABSOLUTELY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OUTCOME OF MY DEGRADED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH (brought on by NO ONE but herself)! She even told me if I were to file a lawsuit against her, I could not because she had the ENTIRE HOSPITAL behind her back (does this not sound like the “nah nah nah nah nah, you cannot catch me” immature behavior? I think so)!
I left the hospital, knowing there is NOTHING I COULD DO to give myself some type of justice!
It has been a year since the horrifying encounter with the psychiatrist!
Today, I cannot travel far (I have to be shuttled around by my parents and if they are not there, I cannot go anywhere, not even drive myself into Taipei (I live in Taoyuan County). I cannot go outside and even take a decent shower at home (my irritable bowel syndrome prevents me from doing so). I have to wait until “a lucky day”, AKA: when my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) symptoms slightly subsides to a point where I can go out (for no more than 10 minutes) and have a shower at home, which is, in itself, a rare occasion (I know, it is gross since I live here, in a subtropical climate where it is hot and humid. However, there is NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT)! I also can no longer hold a regular job (even an online one) due to the many problems I have.
And because of my severe irritable bowel syndrome, I wear an adult diaper now!
At 32 years old, I should be in my “prime”, meaning good physical health and sound in mind! However, I am WEARING AN ADULT DIAPER!
Prior to all this, which happened, I was physically and mentally HEALTHY (expect for the lung infection and depression)!
THIS IS ALL CAUSED BY THE PSYCHIATRIST, HER LIES, AND THE ANTIPSYCHOTICS AND ANTIDEPRESSANTS THAT I, A GULLIBLE PERSON, TOOK ON THAT FATEFUL NIGHT (when I went to see her)!
I have searched EVERYWHERE here in Taiwan, and NO DOCTOR can help me with my present condition (please do not ask me questions such as: how come you did not continue to search further and harder for a doctor who will help you? This indicates you simply do not care about my situation! I will not answer such questions rising from a lack of concern, thank you very much)!
I would like to speak with a lawyer and hopefully, the psychiatrist can be taken to court here in Taiwan! I hope SHE CAN GO BEHIND BARS for what she did, GET MONETARY COMPENSATION FROM THE HOSPITAL, and receive a SINCERE AND FORMAL APOLOGY FROM HER (PSYCHIATRIST)! However, this probably cannot happen (I do not know. Maybe it can and will).
I am not being emotional here (as in: lack of judgment)! The psychiatrist HARMED me physically and mentally! My HUMAN RIGHTS and PATIENT RIGHTS were TAKEN AWAY by HER!
Please refer me to a RESPONSIBLE lawyer who can help me with this HORRIBLE AND TRAGIC case! My case.
I am a victim to psychiatric abuse here in Taiwan! Psychiatric abuse, no matter how small or how large, is STILL abuse!
This is an UNDENIABLE FACT! Period!
This is probably the first case ever, and an extremely rare one, in Taiwan. However, I believe it will not be the last!
To this day, I am still suffering from those problems brought onto me.
Thank you all for reading.
Sincerely,
Jade.